This application claims the priority of German application 100 17 059.5, filed Apr. 5, 2000, the disclosure of which is expressly incorporated by reference herein.
The present invention relates to a particular seat arrangement for vehicles including first, second, and third rows of seats which are arranged one behind another. Each of the rows is composed of at least two seats situated next to one another, and each of the seats includes a backrest and a seat cushion. The seats of the second and third rows, which define two rear rows of seats, are foldable in order to enlarge a loading compartment. The loading compartment can be enlarged by folding the backrests, which are coupled to the seat cushions of the seats in the second row of seats, onto the seat cushions of the seats in the second row of seats, shifting the seat cushions in the second row of seats forward in the longitudinal direction, and pivoting the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats through approximately 180xc2x0 about a pivot axis. This pivot axis is fixed in the vehicle and runs transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the vicinity of the front seat-cushion edge.
In a seat arrangement known from U.S. Pat. No. 5,492,386, the backrests of all of the seats of the second and third rows of seats are coupled to and can be folded onto the seat cushions. The seat cushions can be pivoted forward through 180xc2x0 about a pivot axis running transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle on the front seat-cushion edge. While the pivot axis of the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats is fixed in the vehicle, the pivot axis for the seat cushions of the seats in the second row of seats is fixed on a respective seat frame which can be displaced in the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. In order to fold away the seats for the purpose of enlarging the loading compartment, the seats in the second row of seats are slid forward, the backrests of the seats in the third row of seats are folded onto the associated seat cushions, and the seat packages, including seat cushions and backrests, are pivoted forward through 180xc2x0 about the pivot axis fixed in the vehicle. The rear sides of the backrests come to lie on the foot area floor, which is situated at a lower level. If the loading compartment is to be further enlarged, then the seats of the second row of seats are slid back again. In this case, the seat frames slide past the seat packages; lying in the foot area, of the third row of seats. The backrests of the seats of the second row of seats are folded onto the seat cushions, and the resultant packages, including seat cushions and backrests, are pivoted forwards through 180xc2x0 around the pivot axis which is fixed in the seat frame. The formation of a line of alignment, which extends from the rear loading compartment over the lower side of the seat cushions of the seats from the third row of seats and the second row of seats as far as the backrests of the seats in the first row of seats, now results.
In another seat arrangement known from U.S. Pat. No. 4,932,709, the backrests of all the seats of the second and third rows of seats are coupled to and can be folded onto the seat cushions. In addition, the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats can be pivoted forwards through 180xc2x0 about a pivot axis which extends transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle and is fixed in the vehicle. If the seats in the second and third rows of seats are folded down to enlarge the loading compartment, then the rear sides of the backrests of the seats in the second row of seats and the lower side of the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats form, together with the loading-compartment floor which is raised with respect to the foot area, a continuously flat loading area in the rear of the vehicle. In order to realize a loading area of this type, the rear sides of the backrests of the seats in the second row of seats have to have a flat design, leaving no scope for designing the rear sides of the backrests so as to improve the visual appearance for the passengers seated on the seats in the third row of seats.
The object of the present invention is to realize an enlarged loading compartment, in a seat arrangement of the type initially mentioned, with a flat loading area, by folding away the seats of the second and third rows of seats without subjecting the design of the rear sides of the backrests of the seats in the second row of seats to technical constraints required by the flat loading area. This object is achieved according to the invention by permitting the backrests of the seats in the third row of seats to be pivoted forward through at least 90xc2x0 about a pivot axis which is fixed in the vehicle and runs transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle in the vicinity of the backrest lower edge, and by carrying a flat board on the lower side of at least one of the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats. When the at least one of the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats is pivoted forwards, the flat board can be placed onto the rear side of the backrest of one of the seats in the second row of seats which has been shifted forward.
The seat arrangement according to the invention has the advantage that, after the seats in the second and third rows of seats have been folded away, flat boards are pulled out from the seat cushions of the seats from the third row of seats and are placed onto the rear sides, which lie on top, of the backrests of the seats from the second row of seats. The loading area, therefore, is always flat, irrespective of the design of the backrest. Also, gaps between the backrests can be closed, with the result that baggage is unable to fall into them. In addition, the rear sides of the backrests of the seats from the second row of seats, which rear sides are designed with aesthetic aspects in mind, are protected. These rear sides, therefore, cannot be damaged by baggage, which maintains a long term visually good appearance of the backrests for the passengers in the third row of seats.
Advantageous embodiments of the seat arrangement according to the invention, together with expedient developments and refinements of the invention, are also specified.
According to advantageous embodiments of the invention, boards arranged on lower sides of the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats are held such that they can pivot through 180xc2x0 about a pivot axis which is fixed on the rear seat-cushion edge and runs transversely to the longitudinal direction of the vehicle. Alternatively, the boards are guided in a longitudinally displaceable manner on the lower side of the seat cushions and are designed such that they can be slid forwards over the rear seat-cushion edge onto the rear side of the backrest.
If the seat cushions of the seats in the third row of seats are combined to form a continuous seat bench, then, according to a preferred embodiment of the invention, the boards assigned to the seat cushions are combined to form a one-piece loading floor which covers the lower side of the seat bench. This loading floor is able to entirely cover the folded-over backrests of the seats in the second row of seats.
The invention is described in greater detail below with reference to exemplary embodiments illustrated in the drawings.